olkata: Israel’s ambassador to India Daniel Carmon on Sunday said that the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish nation was only a matter of fact which has been stated by the US President Donald Trump.
Israel’s ambassador to India Daniel Carmon on Sunday said that the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish nation was only a matter of fact which has been stated by the US President Donald Trump.
“I don’t need to react to a matter of fact that had been stated by the President of the United States. It is a fact that Jerusalem has been the capital of Jewish people for 5000 years. It is the capital of the modern state of Israel for 70 years and the reaction is in the field. When you visit the place, you will see what it means for Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," Carmon said.
"Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish state of Israel and it will continue so for ever,” he added.
Carmon was speaking on the sidelines of the event of rededication of Beth El Synagogue in Kolkata.
He said the event had been put up on a day when Jews across the world were celebrating Hanukkah, the festival of lights.
“This is a huge message by the Jewish community of Kolkata which has been and still is a bridge between Judaism and the other faiths, between Israel and India, between the Jews and India and it is part and parcel of the fabric of this wonderful city of Kolkata and the rededication sends a message that we remember the past, think about the present and we are looking to the future,” he added.
Danny Deutsch and Sheila Deutsch (DNA photo by Arshad Ali)
Many had flown in from Israel to Kolkata just to attend the inauguration of the restored synagogue. Danny Deutsch and Sheila Deutsch was one such couple. Danny’s mother Hannah Joshua had been born in Kolkata and had left for Israel at the age of 22. Both of them are professors at the Hebrew University.
“The job has been done beautifully. We are delighted and surprised to see the restoration work,” said Danny.
Manasseh Meyer and his wife Michelle Meyer taking selfie (DNA photo by Arshad Ali)
Another such couple was Manasseh Meyer and his wife Michelle Meyer, who were seen taking a selfie in front of the synagogue, were of similar opinion.
“I was born in Kolkata at China Town and in 1969 when I was of 14 years, we went off to Israel. Since then I had been here for about five times, the last time being in 2005 after my father passed away. After looking at the restoration job I can say they have done a wonderful, professional job. If I can get work like these back in Israel, I’ll be happy,” Manasseh said.
The restoration was done by Society for Heritage Conservation and Preservation over a period of more than two years with the help of more than 200 workers.
“We had to bring in several specialists to work. Instead of using modern cement and sand we used the traditional limestone which was time consuming but had a better finish and would have more longevity. The basement was damp with water flooding in. We had to overhaul the drainage system. Most of the wood was eaten by termites. Ideally we should have used Burma Teak but considering the cost we had to use the nearest match,” said AG Krishna Menon, advisor of the society.
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